The Most Effective Treatment
Reviews of randomized control trials for more than 50 years have shown that cognitive behavior therapy works well for most anxiety problems and disorders and is the most effective treatment for phobias. Although CBT has been around since the 1960s, it remains poorly understood by the general public and even by patients seeking psychological help.
The main component of CBT for phobias is exposure therapy learning to approach rather than avoid insects, for example, and other feared objects or situations. Patients progress through imagining insects, watching images of them, playing with toy insects, visiting areas with a lot of insects and finally touching the insects.
Patients are never forced to do anything they dont want to do, and their therapist is right there with them, engaging in the same exposures, modeling, coaching, encouraging and cheerleading. Exposure therapy can be accomplished only in the context of a strong, collaborative therapeutic relationship.
Although the exposure principles are conceptually simple, it takes a skilled, experienced therapist to put them into practice, tailoring the approach to each patients needs.
Through exposures, we can also test our irrational or unhelpful thinking patterns that provide fertile ground for anxiety.
Phobias To Cockroaches: Symptoms Causes And Treatments
The Phobia of cockroaches , Also called katsaridaphobia, is an irrational and persistent fear, being something unjustified and very debilitating for those who suffer from this disorder.
The repulsion to this insect can be due to multiple factors: as its anatomical structure, its capacity to transmit diseases, the fact that they feed on rot or that some are able to fly.
For many people, this phobia can lead to Obsessive compulsive disorder , causing a constant picture of insecurity for fear of appearing a cockroach at any time.
Avoid basements or dark places, do not rely on summer lodgings or preventative hobbies such as prevent sheets or curtains touch the ground, limit the daily lives of those affected.
“Any movement on the floor gives me chills, sometimes I go to bed and I think that any noise is one of them, I get up and spend the whole night thinking that at any moment I could get between the sheets with me. The problem is that when I am sure there is one in the room, my body does not react and I am unable to get up and kill it.”
We believe that with this real quote it is perfectly understood what individuals suffer with horror of cockroaches. Throughout this article we will name the problem, define the symptoms and their probable causes and develop the possible treatments and therapies. If you read to the end you will find a section of curiosities about this insect that so many headaches gives so many people.
List Of Phobias By Name
Phobias are listed on this page alphabetically by their medical or scientific label. If you are looking for a specific fear; , go to the list of phobias by category
Listings underlined;may indicate other more serious anxiety disorders such as OCD. Some phobias may also indicate self esteem issues, PTSD or forms of abuse. Please see About Phobias for more information
Bacillophobia- Fear of microbes.Batophobia Fear of heights or being close to high buildings.Batrachophobia Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc.Belonephobia Fear of pins and needlesBibliophobia Fear of books.Bogyphobia Fear of bogeys or the bogeyman.Botanophobia Fear of plants.Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia Fear of body smells.Brontophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.Bufonophobia Fear of toads.
Caligynephobia Fear of beautiful women.Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia Fear of cancer.
Carpophobia fear of wristsCardiophobia Fear of the heart.Carnophobia Fear of meat.Catagelophobia Fear of being ridiculed.Catoptrophobia Fear of mirrors.Cenophobia or Centophobia Fear of new things or ideas.Ceraunophobia Fear of thunder and lightning.Chaetophobia Fear of hair.Chemophobia Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.Chiraptophobia Fear of being touched.Chirophobia Fear of hands.
or Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia Fear of fever.Felinophobia Fear of cats.Frigophobia Fear of cold or cold things.
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Why My Entomophobia Isnt Just Being Scared Of Bugs
I am currently sitting on my couch. Sobbing. Im in the middle of a panic attack. Offering people money to come kill a stink bug for me.
I have entomophobia a type of specific phobia characterized by an irrational fear of one or more insects. I dont remember when this started or how, but for as long as I can remember, I have been extremely scared of bugs and my reactions have been far from normal. This is not just being afraid. Even just typing the word bug out, my eyes are closed and my face is grimacing. I can feel my body clenching up, images coming to mind.
Shut them out, shut them out, shut them out. Think happy thoughts. Snow, snowmen, fall, coffeeOK were good. Were OK.
The worst is when I see a bug in my apartment or room, and then it disappears before someone can come kill it. This has happened to me twice in the last several weeks. The first was a beetle. I came home from work a little past midnight, stepped into my apartment and saw a giant black beetle on the carpet in front of me. It didnt take long for my panic attack to start as I texted one of my neighbors and asked if he could come kill it for me. But then the beetle started to move. At this point I was screaming and cursing like a sailor. Tears were streaming down my face, but I couldnt find the strength to move, still frozen from the anxiety. The beetle went under a permanently locked door of the apartment. My heart sunk to the bottom of my chest. I kept my eyes locked on the door.
Medication In The Treatment Process
For a temporary period, the therapy process may require that the patient take antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication to stabilize the symptoms of the patient so that they can begin to make progress with their therapy.
In many cases it is very difficult to treat the patient because their fear is so overwhelming and persistent, they may not trust in the process.
Such patients are also likely to be mildly catatonic and will be very reluctant to leave the house. It is important to be careful and ensure that they continue with their therapy.
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Keep Your Reactions In Check
Perhaps the most important thing you can do as a parent is model accepting/tolerant behavior of bugs for them. The fear of insects or other creepy crawlies is one that is commonly conditioned by parents and immediately sets them up to continue the cycle. If your child has seen you run screaming from the room with arms flailing at the sight of a spider, its natural that they are going to be terrified too.
Parents are the protectors and the ones that teach children whats dangerous and whats not. Children catch anxieties from adults like they catch a common cold. Any little bit of anxiety you show may be amplified tenfold by them. So, as hard as it might be for you, try to keep from squirming and panicking to yourself. If your child sees you reacting in a calm, deliberate way, then she/he will be able to copy your behavior when ready. Getting your reactions under control is probably the most important thing you can do to help your child overcome their fear.
How Is Entomophobia Diagnosed
To diagnose entomophobia, a doctor will conduct a thorough clinical interview, and review your symptoms and medical and psychiatric history.
Theyll base your diagnosis on your interview and certain guidelines and diagnostic criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association.
If you suspect you have entomophobia, you can fill out a specific phobias screening questionnaire online to print off and take to your appointment.
Only a trained healthcare professional can confirm a phobia diagnosis.
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How Does Entomophobia Develop
Many people find insects to be disgusting and creepy, which normalizes the fear of bugs to an extent. However, the disgusting reaction and the intention to avoid bugs do not constitute phobia of insects by itself.
It is only when the fear becomes overwhelming and persistent to the point that the person is no longer able to control their fear that it can be considered to be Entomophobia.
Phobias are usually deeply rooted in pain or fear in the past after bad experiences with insects. People who see eating a rotting corpse may start to feel like it is possible to be eaten by insects.
Painful experiences with insects like ants, wasps, and bees can be intensely traumatic. This trauma can set the foundation for Entomophobia to develop. The fear can also be learned from loved ones or parental figures fear.
Each subsequent incident further aggravates the fear of insects and makes the person more anxious about encountering them. Hearing about how insects harmed someone and seeing scary images of insects at work can also create a negative mindset about insects and bugs.
Usually, people who have been hurt by an insect tend to fear only that insect, but sometimes, it can translate to all insects. Especially those known to bite or have pincers. The speed at which insects move and fly also becomes a source of extreme discomfort. Their perceived capacity to carry the disease can also influence an aggravation in the fear of bugs.
Are Insect Phobias Common
Entomophobia, also referred to as insectophobia, is quite common in the U.S. It is actually more common among people who experience insects the least such as city dwellers who have limited exposure to nature and therefore a smaller range of insects.
Fear of insects frequently turns into a full-blown phobia after a very bad experience with one. People allergic to bee stings will often develop a fear of bees which is understandable. Entomophobia can also be a learned response. For example, if a child sees a friend or family member have a bad experience with an insect or an extreme response then it may imprint on them causing a phobia of insects in general or a specific type.
Entomophobia is often entwined with other fears and phobias. Examples include fear of bites, infestation, and contamination which can feed and/or complicate entomophobia.
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Fear Of Dark Nyctophobia
This is one of the most common phobias in kids. In the older children and matures, this phobia could become crippling. Nevertheless, most individuals still retain a little bit of fear of the dark through their lives. In fact, this fear might be evolutionary in nature because a lot of predators hunt in the dark at nights. As a consequence, darkness is a used element in horror movies as well as Halloween events.
The symptoms of nyctophobia contains sleeping with nightlight, being reluctant to go out at night, increased heart rate, sweating, shaking and even feeling ill if being in the dark.
For Children Who Are Allergic
If your child is allergic to bees, wasps or other insects, then their fear isnt entirely irrational. They should have a certain degree of anxiety around these insects, but they also need to be able to manage the situation safely without panicking. Often excessive fears arise because of a traumatic memory. Maybe its from the first time they were stung or a parent or siblings reaction to a bee.
In order to decrease your childs panic, talk through the situation and assure them they will be fine. Remind them that their epi-pen is close and will help them breathe should they get stung. Talk about how youll both manage the situation. You might also consider telling them that sometimes people outgrow allergies, so its possible they wont have any reaction at all if they get stung. Talking about these things is often enough to turn down the fear dial to a level they can manage.
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Simple Steps To Ending Your Fear Of Bugs
The vast majority of people dont like bugs. Even a few of our professional pest control technicians cant stand them. But for some people their fear of bugs is a full-blown phobia.
Its official name is entomophobia, and its one of over 500 different phobias. But fear of insects is much more common than most fears. In fact, the National Institutes of Health recently reported that entomophobia was the number one fear, and Fearof.net ranked arachnophobia as the most common phobia. This makes sense given that insects greatly outnumber people, and theyre a normal part of everyday life.
Most bugs cant hurt you, but phobias go beyond reason. They are deep-seated and psychological in nature. Often phobias develop in childhood , or they can manifest after a traumatic event. Fortunately, entomophobia can be overcome so you dont have to live in fear of creepy, crawly critters forever.
Understanding The Fear Of Insects Or Entomophobia
Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Entomophobia, sometimes known as insectophobia, is the fear of insects. The fear is relatively common in the US, particularly in urban areas where coming into contact with bugs is relatively infrequent because of the lack of interaction with nature.
Urban dwellers’ fears of insects often serve as fodder for situation comedies and reality shows that depict their sudden transition to rural or island life. Many people who have never been exposed to country life can struggle because of the prevalence and pervasiveness of insects in living areas and public spaces.
Although they are not technically insects, the fear of spiders is one of the most prevalent form of entomophobia. Other commonly feared bugs include bees, ants, cockroaches, flies, and butterflies and moths. Many people fear “bugs” in general, reacting in panic to any insect or related creature that crosses their path.
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Fear Of Suffering From A Disease Nosophobia
This is an irrational fear of having a certain disease. People with nosophobia have a few physical symptoms, are afraid of a specific disease and become persuaded that they have the symptoms of that specific disease. This phobia is common among those researchers or students who spend a lot of time on reading about a particular disease.
Why Are People So Afraid Of Insects And Spiders
According to the diagnostic manual of mental disorders, people who suffer from pathological fears of spiders and insects have what is referred to as “entomophobia.” Of course people can be afraid of creepy-crawlies without having a full-blown pathological fear of creepy bugs. It is estimated that twenty five percent of the general population actively fear spiders and insects. So what is it about bugs that makes them so scary to so many people? One reason bugs are so scary is because many bugs actually can harm you.
For example, mosquitoes cause more human deaths than any other animal. However, most people are not afraid of mosquitoes as much as, say, tarantulas. Researchers believe that humans evolved the fear of spiders, insects, and snakes in order to avoid potentially dangerous encounters with these creatures. After all, many snakes and spiders possess venom that can harm humans. Also, simply being bitten by a harmless spider can be enough to cause an infection, sometimes fatal, such as necrotizing fasciitis.
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How Does Entomophobia Affect A Persons Life
Insects are a part of everyday life. It is very rare for a person to go through a day without seeing an insect. Whether it is mosquitos, flies, moths, ants or fruit flies, insects constantly pass through the average persons sight.
Most of these insects are harmful, but people with Entomophobia may struggle to control their anxieties around them. This makes them reluctant to go to places they do not know well. It also makes seasons like summer and monsoon very difficult to tolerate.
The sound of crickets and cicadas can become very upsetting for someone with a phobia of insects. They will constantly request that someone find and chase the cricket away, sometimes fearing to do even that because they are afraid that the insect will hurt people important to them.
The constant, near yet far sound of an insect can influence a mutated imagination of the insect that is making it. A person with the fear of bugs phobia might picture large, sharp-looking pincers and dangerous stings in their imagination, attributing them to the insect that is making it.
When To Get Help
The takeaway here is that regardless of what your child is afraid of, fear is completely normal for children and parents can play a large role in helping their kids work through it. But sometimes it is appropriate to seek additional help. A rule of thumb for any fear is that if its upsetting the entire family or getting in the way of family functioning, then its probably time to get help. The best place to start is with your familys pediatrician, but he or she may recommend a referral to a child psychologist.
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What Causes A Phobia Of Insects
Although there isnt a specific trigger to cause a phobia, there are some ideas as to how they can start. Sometimes an ugly experience with a bug, such as being stung, can spark a phobia within someone. Memories of the pain or the oddity of the situation can keep the phobia alive. Parents also have a large impact on what their children fear. If a parent continually shows fear whenever they see a bug, the child will believe that the bug will harm them, causing anxiety.